The later winter months are often those where property owners begin planning their landscape design themes for the upcoming spring, and one common theme here is planting a new flower bed. In common cases where this is being done on a previous grass area, you may be worried about killing perfectly healthy grass – but if you utilize the method of digging up the sod and moving it, not only are you saving grass, you’re also putting your new flower bed in a great position to thrive immediately.
At Olympus Landscaping, we’re happy to offer a wide range of both commercial and residential landscaping services, including numerous lawn care, plant care and related areas along with numerous pavers, irrigation system and more. Whether you’re looking to complete a new planting job on your own or enlisting the help of our landscaping professionals, this two-part blog will go over the entire process of removing sod for the planting of a new flower bed.
Tools Required
Before getting started, you need a few tools. These generally encompass a hose or sprinkler (the hose is much easier if you’re targeting a small sod area for removal, while the sprinkler is more ideal for larger areas), a sharp shovel or edger, and either a spade or a pitchfork. There may be certain other unique tools required for certain specific types of grass, but our pros will inform you if this is the case.
Watering Themes
In reality, the process of removing sod from a grass area for a new flower bed planting actually begins several days in advance. At this point, you should begin watering the area thoroughly, with the goal of making the soil easier to work with once it comes time to dig in.
Now, this watering should be cut off a day or two before you will remove the sod. This allows you to deal with moist soil that sticks together, but is still light and easy to work with.
Cutting Into Sod
Once the big day comes, ensure you have your shovel or edger on-hand as you get started. Use this item to cut around the perimeter of the grass area you plan to remove, being as detailed as you can.
From here, cut the sod into strips that are one foot by two feet, or sometimes one foot by one foot. You do not need to dig too deeply – breaking through the first layer of soil is all that’s necessary, and going deeper is just wasting your time while risking the future quality of the flower bed.
For more on removing sod for a new flower bed, or to learn about any of our landscape design or other services, speak to the staff at Olympus Landscaping today.